We will offer 2020 fantasy football analysis and updated projections off of the most notable NFL free-agent signings and trades throughout the early portion of the signing period.
The Tennessee Titans are not interested in Tom Brady and are working hard to get a deal done with quarterback Ryan Tannehill, sources tell ESPN’s Dianna Russini.
Tennessee has been widely speculated as a potential free-agent destination for Brady, given the Titans’ impressive postseason run and Brady’s friendship with Titans coach Mike Vrabel.
But sources tell Russini that Tennessee’s focus at quarterback is bringing back Tannehill, who also is scheduled to become a free agent.
Sources told ESPN’s Jeff Darlington last month that Brady, at the time, was operating under the belief that he would enter free agency to play somewhere other than the New England Patriots next season.
NFL free agency is off and running, and we’re keeping track of every major signing, trade and release of the 2020 offseason, with analysis from our NFL Nation reporters and grades from Bill Barnwell. The new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET March 18, which means free-agent signings can be made official after that. The first round of the 2020 NFL draft begins April 23.
Here’s a breakdown of every 2020 NFL free-agent signing by the New England Patriots and how each will impact the upcoming season:
Length of deal: Two years
What it means: Slater is an inspirational leader, and his return before he officially hit free agency was a top priority. The Patriots are undergoing a coaching transition on special teams with Joe Judge now the head coach of the Giants, so Slater’s presence could be even more important in 2020.
What’s the risk: Slater turns 35 in September, and the Patriots finished last season with the oldest roster in the NFL. There’s some level of risk with age and the possibility of declining performance, but Slater’s presence and leadership offset any minor concern along those lines.
OWINGS MILLS, Md. – The Baltimore Ravens officially placed the franchise tag on outside linebacker Matthew Judon on Friday, keeping the team’s top pass rusher from hitting free agency.
Judon, 27, reached the first Pro Bowl of his four-year career after leading the Ravens with a personal-best 9.5 sacks and recording the fourth-most quarterback hits in the NFL with 33.
This move had long been expected and it comes at a steep price. The tag on Judon will cost between $16 million and $18 million, which will use more than half of Baltimore’s projected $30 million salary cap space and limit what the team can do in free agency.
The Ravens have traditionally used the tag to buy time to get a long-term deal done. The last five players franchised by Baltimore — cornerback Chris McAlister (2003 and 2004), linebacker Terrell Suggs (2008 and 2009), defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (2011), running back Ray Rice (2012) and kicker Justin Tucker (2016) — eventually got contracts that made them among the highest paid at their positions.
“I’d rather have a long-term deal for stability,” Judon said Friday in a text to ESPN’s Josina Anderson. “It is what it is. I feel like this is what many of us go through that are facing free agency. At the end of the day, I know I’m playing football next season.”
Baltimore, which finished with the NFL’s best regular season record last season at 14-2, couldn’t risk losing Judon. Addressing the pass rush has become an offseason priority for the Ravens after ranking 21st in the league with 37 sacks, their fewest since 2015.
Not retaining Judon would’ve been a tough sell a year after losing another pass-rusher in his prime.
